Each month ConnectSport works with the Sport for Development Coalition to create a 'call for articles'. In April 2019 articles focus on collaboration and here Matt Pilkington of StreetGames talks about the charity’s national conference in June which will bring together a wide variety of organisations from different sectors. To submit your article, contact hello@connectsport.co.uk.

The annual StreetGames Conference is an exceptional example of the sport, youth and charity sectors coming together to share best practice and the very latest research.

The 2019 event takes place on June 4-5 in Coventry and is entitled 'Healthier, Safer and More Successful - Building Stronger Communities through Sport and Physical Activity' to reflect the multiple applications of what the charity calls its ‘doorstep sport’ programme across towns and communities.

The event brings together representatives from a wide range of sectors and organisations, including the Youth Justice Board, public health, Academic researchers, non-departmental public bodies and members of the Sport for Development Coalition, along with the coaches, community leaders and volunteers from across the StreetGames network who are all helping to make our communities healthier, safer and more successful.

Matt Pilkington, Director of Fundraising and Communications at StreetGames, said: “Collaboration and partnership-working is part of StreetGames’ DNA and the work of the StreetGames network now touches so many different agendas such as youth mental health, community safety, volunteering and holiday hunger.

“The conference is a great opportunity to learn from one another and to hear from some of the specialists working in these areas. For example James Duggan from Manchester University will share his research on loneliness amongst young people; Loretta Sollars, from Public Health England, will be talking about the power of data, and Sport England and Sport Wales will discuss new surveys and strategies, while Groundwork will discuss funding and sustainability opportunities.

“It’s a jam-packed programme but we’ve made sure there is also plenty of time to meet and talk to colleagues and peers. Every year delegates tell us that the opportunity to network with others is one of the things they value most about the conference.”

Another keynote speaker will be Ted Cantle, who is widely considered to be the UK’s leading authority on community cohesion and intercultural relations. Ted was appointed by the Home Secretary to Chair the Community Cohesion Review Team and to lead the review of the causes of the summer disturbances in a number of northern towns and cities.

The groundbreaking ‘Cantle Report’ made around 70 recommendations. It also created the concept of ‘parallel lives’ to describe communities that had little in common and had no contact with each other.

This year the conference is being officially supported by the Sport for Development Coalition.